Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth?

Every four days there are a million more people on the planet. More people and fewer resources. In this timely work, Alan Weisman examines how we can shrink our collective human footprint so that we don't stomp any more species - including our own - out of existence. The answer: reducing gradually and non-violently the number of humans on the planet whose activities, industries and lifestyles are damaging the Earth. Defining an optimum human population for the Earth is an explosive concept. Weisman, one of the most brilliant environmental writers, has travelled the globe in search of answers, from the settlements of Israel and the plains of Mexico, to the bustling streets of Pakistan and the teeming cities of the UK. In Countdown, Weisman details his encounters with religious leaders, demographers, ecologists, economists, engineers and agriculturalists in what promises to be an international classic.

About the Author :
Alan Weisman is the author of several books, including The World Without Us, an international bestseller translated into thirty-four languages, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the Wenjin Book Prize of the National Library of China. In 2013, Countdown won the General Non-fiction prize at the Paris Book Festival. His work has been selected for many anthologies, including The Best American Science Writing. An award-winning journalist, his reports have appeared in Harper's, the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Discover, Vanity Fair, Wilson Quarterly, Mother Jones and Orion, and on NPR. A former contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Magazine, he is a senior producer for Homelands Productions. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Review :
Countdown is rich, subtle and elaborate. His magisterial work should be the first port of call for anyone interested in the relationship between population and the environment. Literary Review [Weisman] makes a strong case for slowing global population growth - and even for reducing overall population numbers - as a pre-requisite for achieving a sustainable future ... Weisman's empha-sis on expanding access to contraception as the next-best strategy is both pragmatic and workable, as past efforts have shown. It is to be hoped that his message may be heeded sooner rather than later. -- Hannah Zlotnik Nature [Weisman] asks a really tough question: what will happen on the warming earth if our population continues to grow? ... Weisman boldly traveled to more than 20 diverse countries, from India to Italy to Japan, instigating remarkably candid conversations with religious leaders, scientists, and public-health experts. Spirited descriptions, a firm grasp of complex material and a bomb diffuser's steady precision make for a riveting read ... Rigorous and provoking, Countdown will spur many a debate. Booklist, starred review Weisman offers heart-rending portrayals of nations already suffering demographic collapse ... A realistic, vividly detailed exploration of the greatest problem facing our species. Kirkus starred review Provocative and sobering, this vividly reported book raises profound concerns about our future. Publishers Weekly starred review